It's Nobody's Fault
by ThominhoNalbyfan29
Summary: Alby blames himself for Ben's Banishment. Newt comforts him. Rated T for angst and character death. Oneshot. NewtxAlby.


Newt was worried about Alby. He hadn't seen Alby at all for almost three hours, and at first it bugged him then it worried him and now it was driving him crazy. He asked around, but no one had seen Alby. And after what Newt had tried to do to himself, he was terrified that Alby tried to do the same thing. And the Doors were closed by now. Everyone was getting ready for bed. "He's fine, Newt," Minho told him. "That shank can take care of himself."

Newt tried to convince himself that Minho was right, that maybe Alby just wanted to be alone. But he still went outside and searched for Alby all the same, grabbing his flashlight and heading out the door.

He poked his head out the door, staring out into the darkness and turning his flashlight on. "Alby?" he called, shining the light in the darkness. He closed the door behind him and stepped outside, went down the creaky steps of the Homestead.

After searching the fields, the Box and the Slammer, the kitchens and the Blood House, Newt walked into the Deadheads calling Alby's name. He felt the weight of dread as he went farther in the Deadheads. "Alby!" he called, terrified for the boy he loved. The last thing he wanted was for Alby to get hurt.

Something rustled in the trees. Newt shreiked and shined his light on the branch, exhaling in relief when he realized it was just a beetle blade. He caught the familiar word WICKED written on its back as it scuttled away. His heart slowing down a bit, he crept farther in the Deadheads.

Newt had been walking for about twenty minutes when he heard the sound of someone crying. He saw the black outline of somebody sitting under a tree, and when he pointed his flashlight to it he realized it was Alby. "Alby!" he shouted, his heart lifting.

Alby lifted his head and looked up at Newt as he ran towards him. Newt stopped a few feet in front of his friend, realizing how terrible he looked. Alby's body shook with sobs, and tears streaked his face and his dark eyes were red and there were dark circles under them. Newt hadn't seen someone look so terrible in a long time, and it scared him. "Alby, what's wrong?" Newt asked, sitting down beside the older boy.

"I k-killed him," Alby sobbed. It was the first time Newt had ever seen him cry, and this frightened the blonde, too. "Ben. I k-killed h-him." Alby could barely speak.

"Oh Alby, no," Newt said, his heart breaking. Alby looked even worse than Chuck when he first got to the Glade. "No," he repeated. "It was the decision of all the Keepers joined together."

"Maybe," Alby mumbled, "but I have the authority." Newt wrapped an arm around Alby and rubbed his back gently. "I could have said no."

"Banishment wasn't even your idea," Newt pointed out. "It was Winston's."

"He's creepy," Alby declared. Newt laughed through his own tears. Alby was going to be okay. But then Alby frowned again and he said, "No one even likes me. They all hate me, especially Thomas. And G-Gally."

"Gally needs to be locked in the buggin' Slammer," Newt said, making a mental note to have a Gathering about that. "He hates everyone."

"Except Ben. And he's dead."

Newt sighed, pulling Alby close. "Tommy doesn't hate you," he said. "He's just scared."

"Of me," Alby decided.

"Of this place," Newt corrected him. "It's new to him. Gally's bitching about him constantly and what happened with Ben won't exactly help him like Tommy more." Fresh tears streamed down Alby's face. Newt wiped them away as he went on, "Did you realize that Tommy's the only one who acknowledges that you're the bloody leader around this shuck place? Everyone else is fighting over authority that they don't even have a right to. Tommy accepts you."

Alby took a deep breath and reached for Newt's hand. "He's smart."

Newt smiled as he squeezed Alby's hand. "Yeah, he is." Dark eyes met light blue ones.

"No one likes me though," Alby said.

"_I_ like you, Alby," Newt told him. "You're a great friend. You only Banished Ben because Thomas wasn't safe. No one was, with him running around here like a bloody lunatic. So you got Ben out of here. Ben was crazy, he didn't know what he was doing. His Banishment is nobody's fault, especially not yours. Alby, I admire you for being so brave and everyone who doesn't is as crazy as Gally."

Everything happened so fast then that Newt's brain barely had time to catch up with his body. Newt barely had time to finish his sentence before Alby pressed his lips against Newt's, kissing him the first time ever. Newt's eyes opened wide and then they closed, and he clutched Alby's shirt in his hands as the kiss deepened. Alby's hands went in his hair, stroking it, and Newt moaned into Alby's mouth. Alby wrapped his arms around Newt's neck as he brushed his lips over the blonde's.

They kissed for a long time - Newt didn't know how long. Both boys were breathless and panting when they pulled away from each other's lips. "You don't know how long I've wanted you to do that," Newt admitted.

Alby smiled, a real smile that made Newt's heart flutter. "I love you, Newt," he choked.

"I love you more than anything," Newt breathed, and Alby brought his lips onto Newt's again.


End file.
